Publisher's Summary

MaryJanice Davidson's cult hit Undead and Unwed is a delightful mixture of Sex and the City and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Waking up in a tacky coffin and wearing off-brand shoes, Betsy Taylor can't believe the horrible turn her life has taken; then she discovers she's a vampire. Soon, Betsy becomes a participant in a power struggle between the forces of darkness. With only her friend Jessica and the hunky vampire Sinclair to help her, this new "Queen of Vampires" will have a tough time getting her afterlife straight.

I actually despise what most people call "chick lit" and lots of people have described the Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson as chick lit meets vampires.

I suppose that is an accurate description, but the reason I hate chick lit (in general) and the reason I find this book so hilarious is basically the same: a really shallow-seeming heroine. Here the shallowness isn't complete (Betsy has her moments and you can see that she has some deeper feelings, if you search really hard for them), but the very shallowness is part of the reason these books are so funny.

The Queen of the Vampires is obsessed with shoes? Designer names? What anyone and everyone is wearing? Too funny!

Nancy Wu, who gives voice to Betsy in this first person novel, is letter perfect. She sounds just like Betsy did in my head when I read "Undead and Unwed" for the first time.

Give this book a chance,even if you aren't a chick lit fan. You won't regret it.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Kristi Anderson

Nevada, USA

17/01/09

Overall

"Lighthearted Dark Fantasy"

I have to admit I really loved the lighthearted sillyness of a shoe loving queen of the vampires. I'm personally not a big fan of dark brooding vampires, so this was really a lot of fun.

My only gripe is that it's a little more sexual than I would have liked, not that I mind a little bit but the author can be very explicit which is a little wierd for me since I like to listen to my books at work (with headphones but still...).

Otherwise I'm really enjoying the series and I can't help spending all my credits so I can read the rest of them.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Vanessa

Maricopa, AZ, USA

28/07/09

Overall

"Great Concept / Annoying Character"

I've read the Twilight and Sookie Stackhouse series and I was very eager to start on the Undead series. This book was entertaining with a great plot but is it just me or does Betsy get to be extremely annoying and brainless. I know she is supposed to be a woman in her late 20's/early 30's who ran a hectic office with complicated bosses and colleagues. A blonde bombshell heroine but she comes across as a blonde bimbo who is extremely emotional, lacks common sense, and acts more like she's a pre-teen going through puberty and made to share a bedroom with her little brother. She's not just tempermental, she's ridiculously rude, illogical, and whiny. She's commonly displayed as a self righteous, pouting, stomping, confidence-starved 14 yr old that says things like "ick", "yuck", "blach", and "gross". It's definitely "Sex in the City" meets "Twilight" meets "Austin Powers" meets "Rugrats". Of all the amazing things she can do and ample power she has, she spends most of her time mudslinging, name calling, and staging "biotch" fights. Listen/Read this for the sheer mindless entertainment. Overthink the storyline and you'll regret it..even if you do subscribe to Vogue and own a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

15 of 16 people found this review helpful

D. Gahan

AK

21/02/07

Overall

"Taken for what it is"

I normally download the classics and intellectual selections. I was looking for something light, and I found it. The interesting thing is I found myself gripped. This book surprisingly delivered what I was looking for. If you don't mind a loose plot with basic, surface characterization yet enough continuity to carry the story, this is a good choice. I can't believe our heroine is a Republican, and the sex scenes are...interesting (ahem). Otherwise, this is a good escape from reality. For the same reasons I may watch sitcom reruns on a weekend after a hard week, this is a refreshing listen to kick back with after work. I found myself picking up the sequels to find out what happens next. Oh, yes, just don't tell anyone how much I enjoyed this as I dive back into my physics lectures.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Helen

Spokane, WA, USA

3/11/06

Overall

"You can't just listen to one..."

Light, funny, road-trip entertainment. Wu does a great job with female characters and adds flavor to the series. Don't start in the middle... listen from start to finish for the best experience. I'll keep this set in my I-Pod to listen to again and again and buy the next installment for my collection.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Katherine

St. Johns, FL, United States

8/05/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Cute paranormal fantasy"

Betsy Taylor is having a rough week. First she gets fired, then she gets hit by a car, and then she wakes up in a coffin lined with plush pink satin (yuck!) wearing an unfashionable dress, cheap shoes, and the wrong color make-up. How embarrassing! After piecing together the clues and visiting a minister, Betsy realizes that she???s a very unusual vampire ??? she???s not affected by crosses, holy water, or sunlight. She does, however, need to drink blood.

Betsy is determined to make the most of her death by getting back to her normal life, but she soon discovers that the other vampires in town have expectations of her. Though she tries to stay clear of them, they will not let her rest in peace, and she ends up in the middle of a vampire clan war.

I thought that Undead and Unwed was totally not my kind of book. I don???t like sarcastic female protagonists and I don???t like vampires. I only picked up Undead and Unwed because it was cheap at Audible during one of their big sales and somebody needed to review it for the SFF review site I'm involved in. I was completely surprised, therefore, at how well it entertained me.

MaryJanice Davidson managed to make Betsy???s shallowness and over-concern about fashion amusing rather than annoying (???Being dead was no excuse to get sloppy???) and, though Betsy can be rather sarcastic, it???s mostly directed at the villains and it???s not the defining feature of her personality. The villainous vampire and his minions are completely over-the-top ???the men in black tuxedoes, and the women in red lipstick and nail polish. Their leader sits on a gold-plated throne. This works so well here because the novel is aware of its campiness and Betsy is constantly commentating on their bad sense of drama and fashion. She has no respect for the vampire scene and its clich??s and wants no part of their ???little undead covens.??? I found her to be genuinely funny.

Betsy has a couple of likeable friends who are eager to be her new sidekicks. There???s Jessica, the rich black heiress, and Mark, the gay doctor who is less disgusted with Betsy being a blood-sucking vampire than that she used to donate money to PETA. There are not many characters, but two are homosexual (one male and one female) and I can???t help but think that this is an easy way for the author to make some characters sexually off-limits. Maybe I???m wrong, and it doesn???t really matter anyway since Undead and Unwed isn???t asking us to take it seriously. Speaking of sex: it???s rather steamy.

I listened to Recorded Books??? audio version of Undead and Unwed, narrated by Nancy Wu. I didn???t like her at first because her reading started off choppy and I could hear her breathing after every sentence, but after the first chapter, she really did a great job. She doesn???t have the best male voices, but her performance for Betsy was brilliant, especially each time Betsy???s fangs started erupting.

Undead and Unwed is a cute and entertaining paranormal romance and I will pick up the next installment when I see it on sale at Audible.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Nijntje

18/06/08

Overall

"Betsy rocks!"

Although in Holland 'Betsy' is a common name for a cow, and yes, I had to get over that, this Elizabeth is really really cool. When she thinks she's a zombie she tries to kill herself, several times, and when that doesn't work, she gets wicked.

'What are you gonna do? Kill me?'

Its like the devil wears Prada. Literally. I was laughing out loud every 10 minutes or so becuase she's so adorable. When other vampires want her to help destroi another she doesn't want to go with them. But then it appeares they have bought 10 pairs of very nice shoes and she's all over them. "I can't believe we are bribing our future queen with designershoes" sights an old-but-younglooking vampire girl. But hey, it works!

This book is perfect for fashionistas who love romance and comedy, and don't mind the paranormal surroundings. If you do- Betsy will talk you through it, this book is great.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Carolk

WI

7/01/10

Overall

Performance

Story

"Irritating Lead Character and Narrator"

I was looking for some fun reading after finishing the Sookie Stackhouse books. I had read some very good reviews of this series and decided to try it. The narrator is really horrible, some of her voices sound like cartoon characters. The heroine is very childish and irritating.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Stephanie

tucson, AZ, United States

24/05/11

Overall

Performance

Story

"really like this series."

Great series. loved it. Mary janice Davidson is a great writer and in this series she answers all the questions people normally have about vamps. I listened to all the availible undead Books and cant wait for the next book in july. In the mean time i am listening to Molly harpers werewolf books and also here vamp books. She is also a great writer.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

'Nathan

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

3/03/10

Overall

"Fun Paranormal Series"

I took this book with me on vacation last month, and had more than a few laugh-out-loud moments while reading it.

Life was hard for Betsy Taylor - she couldn't always afford the newest and hottest styles of shoes, and she worked for a boss who neglected to do small things, like pay the taxes on his employee wages. A few months ago, she was attacked by some foul smelling nasties - though at least that led to her meeting a yummy detective. Then she gets hit by a car and dies. Game over. Right?

Nope. She wakes up, and is powerfully thirsty. Somewhere along the lines, Betsy has become a vampire, and life was hard enough with a pulse.

Betsy's take on the undead life is a howl, and I promise you won't be let down if you're looking for a light, fun tale peppered with some romance and a lot of laughs. It's like an undead Janet Evanovich novel.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

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P

3/06/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Narrator is terrible"

Would you try another book written by MaryJanice Davidson or narrated by Nancy Wu?

The narrator is so bad that I couldn't finish listening to this book. everything is said in a sarcastic tone, with far too many raising inflections. so no I wouldn't listen to this narrator again

What could MaryJanice Davidson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

chose a different narrator

What didn’t you like about Nancy Wu’s performance?

everything is said in a sarcastic tone, with far too many raising inflections. so no I wouldn't listen to this narrator again

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mrs. REP

Midlands, UK.

24/12/07

Overall

"Very funny and entertaining."

Apart from the narrator's terrible English accent for one character, this was an excellent listen.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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